Since gaining traction with early cuts like “No Hook Pt 2” and the Kay Flock-assisted “Shot Down”, Maryland-born and New York City-bred artist B-Lovee quickly became a poster child for Bronx’s bubbling sample drill scene.
The 21-year-old artist released his first song, “No Hook,” in April 2020. Then, in the span of just two years, B-Lovee landed collaborations with G Herbo, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Coi Leray, and Don Q. Touting a hyper-aggressive flow that's coupled with a compelling command of New York vernacular, B-Lovee is one of the most consistent rising artists out.
As a result of his meteoric rise, he earned a spot on this season of HNHH’s On The Come Up. With at least one new song dropping practically every month and multiple EPs already under his belt, the rising artist is a firm believer in the importance of putting in the hard work even when it goes unnoticed.
“Never stop working. Stay patient. Stay down,” he tells HotNewHipHop on the latest episode of On The Come Up.
Last year, B-Lovee inked a major-label deal with New York-based record label RECORDS and Columbia Records. Since then, he’s been on an absolute rampage, releasing a slew of grimy drill cuts and plenty of crossover-friendly tracks, as well — most notably the Mary J Blige-sampling “My Everything."
During his On The Come Up feature, B-Lovee gives fans a rundown of his entry into rap, his musical inspirations, the rise of Bronx Drill, his dream collaboration, and much more.
HNHH: B, how did you get into music?
B-Lovee: I just had -- I like music a lot. I used to always listen to music. I just love music a lot, listening to -- end up recording one day. I don't know why, I just ended up recording. We at the studio in the projects – we just went. I ain't gonna lie. Wavy after that.
Who were some of your musical inspirations? Who inspired you to make music?
Lotta people. You know, my mom, my uncle, pops, they all be listening to all types [of music] so I was listening to that. All types of music. From like, R&B to Hip-Hop to like -- all that type of music. From like-- I can’t say who, really, but I had people I was big fans of. Like, for me and mine, you know, like Chief Keef, [the] Chicago wave. Kodak Black, Lil Baby, for me. A Boogie and them, ya know? For me, anybody coming out around that time.
What was the turning point that helped you realize you were on your way to becoming successful? What was that moment where you were like, “D*mn, I might be doing something right.”
Sh*t, for me-- cause we started rapping, and we started making music during the pandemic. So we ain’t get to see people, like, we just see each other. But once the pandemic was over, it was like the first month the pandemic was over, we got a show. For me, that's when. right there, I knew “Iight bet.” It’s real life, it’s not just social media. It’s real life.
If a music fan were to discover you for the first time today, what song should they listen to first?
They should listen to the first song I dropped, “No Hook Pt. 2.” Yeah, facts. They need to go listen to that and just listen to my music from there to now.
Tell me about a valuable lesson you’ve learned during your come-up.
Valuable lesson I've learned is just never stop. Never stop working. Stay patient. Stay down. Just, stay in your lane. Handle yours.
Summarize, either, your debut mixtape or your debut single and what inspired you to make that?
My debut single, that was – ‘cause I dropped a couple of singles. My debut single, I dropped that… I just was like on something-- I just had to tell-- I was rapping my story, basically. My life and what's going on, how I was living, just like that. It was basically for people to hear me, see where I’m coming from, and my story-type sh*t.
Everybody from New York is [in] different boroughs and everybody from different boroughs makes different types of music. All the music sounds different.
What's the name of that song, so that people can go find it?
It’s called “No Hook”
Where can a fan go find it?
On YouTube… or any platform just search up “B-Lovee No Hook”. That was my first song I dropped.
Tell me a little bit more about your hometown. Tell me about the Bronx and how it has influenced your music.
I'm gonna say the Bronx because everybody from New York is [in] different boroughs and everybody from different boroughs makes different types of music. All the music sounds different.
So like, Bronx, I don't know, it's crazy -- ‘cause we first started that. Like, what we doing right now for the Bronx, we started that wave. So like, we basically just -- like you know other drills, like Chicago, you know other drills, whether it’s Brooklyn drill. We just made our own and it was like a couple hoods. Me and a few others some other people from my hood, too. Couple other hoods. Probably like three hoods that really started the Bronx drill. So yeah, we just made it. I don’t know how it came about, we just happened. Releasing music. We wasn't even releasing music, we were just making music and making snippets. And they’d hear 15 seconds of the song and then go. It was just like that.
All this -- chain on, come fly in and out, different states and all of that, shows, fans. It’s a dream come true.
Where do you hope your music career takes you?
Whole different level. I'm trying to go up with that. Music careers, like, coming from the projects and all of that. All this -- chain on, come fly in and out, different states and all of that, shows, fans. It’s a dream come true. So just trying to get more bigger with all that. Grow. I'm ‘bout to grow. Bigger trips, bigger shows. Bigger everything. Everything gets bigger.
If you could create your dream song, an unlimited budget, you could work with past artists, present artists. What would that sh*t sound like and who would you put on the song?
That sh*t would sound crazy. You said I could work with past artists, like artists that pass away and all that?
Yeah, artists that ain’t here with us no more. Biggie or Pac or Michael Jackson…
My dream song would be on some heavy New York sh*t. I’d do some Biggie, Pop Smoke, type. For me, with the current New York artists cause that’s like the top 2 so, I’d just some New York shit. You know, crazy sh*t. Facts
Y’all got a lot of options in New York.
Yeah, for sure. Nah, we definitely do, though.
If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring musician on the come-up, what would you tell them?
I would just like tell ‘em -- cause people still ask me how I did it, how I came up and I just tell people you gotta stay down. Just work, even though it might take you a year, couple months, ten years. If you really wanna do it you just gotta do it. You gotta stick to that, what you wanna do. I mean, you gotta run until you get where you wanna be. For sure. No matter what. You gonna hit the bottom a couple times. It's gonna be hard, nothing’s ever easy. You just gotta get through it, stick to your dream, if you really want it.